Hour of Glory (1949)
"The Small Back Room" (original title)

As the Germans drop explosive booby-traps on 1943 England, the embittered expert who'll have to disarm them fights a private battle with alcohol.

Directors:

Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Writers:

Nigel Balchin (novel), Michael Powell,

Stars:

David Farrar, Kathleen Byron, Jack Hawkins

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Farrar	...	Sammy Rice
Kathleen Byron	...	Susan
Jack Hawkins	...	R.B. Waring
Leslie Banks	...	Col. A.K. Holland
Michael Gough	...	Capt. Dick Stuart
Cyril Cusack	...	Cpl. Taylor
Milton Rosmer	...	Prof. Mair
Walter Fitzgerald	...	Brine
Emrys Jones	...	Joe
Michael Goodliffe	...	Till
Renée Asherson	...	A.T.S. corporal
Anthony Bushell	...	Col. Strang
Henry Caine	...	Sgt. Maj. Rose
Elwyn Brook-Jones	...	Gladwin
James Dale	...	Brigadier

Storyline

The best bomb disposal officer during World War II was badly injured and is in frequent pain. He finds solace and relief from his pain in the whisky bottle & the pills that are never far away. A new type of booby trapped bomb push his nerves & resolution to the limit.

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Plot Keywords:

bomb | pain | bomb disposal | booby trap | explosion | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 February 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hour of Glory

Filming Locations:

Chesil Bank, Dorset, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Archers, The, London Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first film acting role of Bryan Forbes.

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Goofs

A little over 75 minutes into the film, during the scene where the character of Sammy Rice trashes his sitting room, the shadow of the boom mic can be seen reflected in the empty picture frame in the foreground of the shot.

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Quotes

Susan: Where were you going Sammy?
Sammy Rice: I don't know.
Susan: A woman?
Sammy Rice: Maybe.
Susan: How about me?

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Crazy Credits

"It has been suggested that I should point out that the characters and incidents in this story are purely fictional. This I gladly do. They are." - N.B. N.B. is Nigel Balchin, the author of the original novel.

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Connections

Referenced in Taxi Driver (1976)

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Soundtracks

"Soft Shoe Shuffle"
(uncredited)
Written by Spencer Williams and Maurice Burman
Performed by Ted Heath's Kenny Baker Swing Group

User Reviews

One of the finest films of the 1940s

I have often sought out black and white films from the British cinema and was not disappointed when I came across The Small Back Room. Now possibly one of my favourite films of all time, the very good, simple underlying plot is overtaken by the principal characters, played by David Farrar and Kathleen Byron. An excellent supporting cast, including Michael Gough, Jack Hawkins and Leslie Banks enables the viewer to pull the curtains on a rainy afternoon and to lose themselves in a world that is not quite the 1943 in which the film is set and in in some ways is much later than the 1949 in which it was made. The relationship between Sammy and Susan is a deep and powerful, but secret one and is more curious when one has time to reflect and put it into its (early or late) 1940s context. The fact that they keep their feelings from their colleagues is endemic of the times but is a little curious nonetheless. A friend who knows about such things immediately latched onto the way that another male character fixes his intense gaze upon Sammy Rice to the extent that it now makes me a tiny bit uncomfortable in a non-21st century way. Keep watching this film and you will see more and more interplay between people that implies a further raft of professional and social relationships that the film never actually explores or explains. My verdict: Catch a stinking cold and take a day off work. Curl up on the sofa with a hot drink and lose yourself in a world that you will want to keep coming back to.